Eye Care for the Diabetic Patient

doi:10.1001/jama.1981.03310450063029

Eye Care for the Diabetic Patient

R. Keith Campbell, RPh;
Otto G. Klein Jr, MD

From the College of Pharmacy, Washington State University, Pullman (Dr Campbell), and the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle (Dr Klein). Dr Klein is now in private practice in Missoula, Mont.

Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.

Excerpt

DIABETIC retinopathy is the most common cause of blindness in men and women aged 30 to 64 years.¹ It is now the second leading cause of new blindness in the United States and the leading cause in adults younger than 65 years.² Diabetic retinopathy occurs in 90% of all persons who have had diabetes for 20 years or longer³ and in 60% to 70% of patients with diabetes of 15 years' duration.⁴ Thus, the longer a patient has been a diabetic, the greater the incidence of diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy presents a hemodynamic and structural abnormality brought about by various vaguely understood biochemical or hormonal insults to the retinal vascular tree.⁵ The development of diabetic retinopathy appears to be related to not only the duration of the disease but also to the lack of diabetic control that results in elevated blood glucose levels. It can